Avinger has announced it has received FDA clearance for a new interventional chronic total occlusion crossing catheter, according to a news release.

The Ocelot catheter is designed to allow physicians to see from inside an artery during a procedure using optical coherence tomography. In the past, operators have had to rely solely on x-ray as well as touch and/or feel to guide catheters through complicated blockages.

"Incorporating intravascular optical coherence tomography into therapeutic devices has been the biggest priority here at Avinger," said John B. Simpson PhD, MD, Avinger founder and CEO, in the release. "We have amazing investors who have allowed us to demonstrate how revolutionary Avinger can be. I'm so proud of our employees, all the physicians and hospitals around the world that helped us bring this amazing technology to the patients in the United States."